Connecting Power BI workspaces and SharePoint sites

Power BI V2 workspaces recently (May 2019) entered into general availability. The biggest difference between a V1 and V2 Power BI workspace is the fact that a V2 workspace is not backed by an Office 365 group, and a V1 workspace is. One area that this change affects a great deal is the “Get data” experience in the Power BI service (browser). This post outlines the differences, and describes the configuration options.

Data connections to files stored in SharePoint and OneDrive have certain unique characteristics when they are created in the browser. For example, these connections are automatically refreshed hourly unless that option is disabled.

V1 workspaces automatically offer the connection to the Documents library in the underlying SharePoint site. V2 workspaces do not automatically offer this option, as there is no underpinning SharePoint site. However, any V2 workspace can be connected to any Modern SharePoint site, and in this way, the option is more flexible. For the sake of clarity, a Modern SharePoint site is one that is backed by an Office 365 Group, and has an email address.

Let’s explore the 4 possible experiences when using “Get Data” and then choosing “Files” in the Power BI service. There are 4 possible experiences, depending on the type and configuration of the workspace;

Personal workspace

V1 workspace

V2 workspace not connected to a site

V2 workspace connected to a site

In each example below, the options are reached by selecting “Get Data” and then choosing “Files”. The type of files that can be imported are CSV, Excel, PBIX (Power BI Desktop files) and RDL (paginated reports).

Personal workspace

The personal workspace is the only workspace available using the free Power BI license. It is not connected to any SharePoint sites, and provides 4 options for importing.

“Local File” can be used for importing files from a local file store. Files imported in this manner are not automatically refreshed, and without the use of a gateway, cannot be. This option is available for every workspace type and will not be discussed further. “Learn about importing files” is a simple help link, likewise available to all workspace types.

OneDrive – Business connects to the currently logged in user’s OneDrive for Business storage. This is the OneDrive that is associated with “School or Organization” account which is stored in Azure Active Directory.

OneDrive – Personal connects to a user’s personal, or consumer OneDrive account. This is the type of OneDrive that is accessed using a “personal” account (otherwise known as a Microsoft account, or MSA). The personal workspace is the only type of workspace that allows a connection to personal OneDrive content.

SharePoint – Team Sites allows files stored in any SharePoint Online library to be loaded. Files stored in SharePoint on-premises can be loaded into Power BI, but only through Power BI Desktop. This method is online only.

Data imported in this fashion will be updated hourly with the exception of “Local File”. This will also be true of any OneDrive or SharePoint source referenced below.

V1 workspace

A Power BI V1 workspace is connected to an Office 365 Group, and therefore backed by a SharePoint site. This is reflected in the Files experience in the service.

Here we see 3 import options. Local File, SharePoint – Team Sites, and “Learn about..” are exactly the same as with personal workspaces. However, both OneDrive options from there are unavailable. The “OneDrive – XXXX” option is different, and bears some explanation.

In the image above, “Demos” is the name of the V1 workspace. Selecting this option will open the SharePoint library named “Documents” in the SharePoint site that is associated with this workspace and Office 365 group.

In my opinion, this option is poorly named, which leads to confusion. This container truly has nothing to do with OneDrive – it is a SharePoint library. We already have enough different “OneDrives” to keep track of, but I digress.

V2 workspace (not connected to a site)

The V2 workspace is not associated with a SharePoint site, and therefore, there is no Documents library to connect to. The option is instead replaced with the ability to connect to the user’s OneDrive for Business (OneDrive – Business) storage, as in the personal workspace. In essence, this experience is identical to the personal workspace experience minus the ability to connect to personal OneDrives.

V2 workspace (connected to a site)

Although a V2 workspace is not inherently connected to a SharePoint site, it can be manually connected to one. This restores the capability missing from V1 workspaces, while being more flexible. The workspace is no longer bound to a specific site, but can be configured to work with any Modern SharePoint site. In addition, the same site can be bound to multiple workspaces.

The “Modern” distinction above is important. The SharePoint site itself must be backed by an Office 365 group, as that is how it is identified in Power BI.

Associating a workspace with a SharePoint site

With V2 workspaces, site connection is now a property of the workspace. To edit workspace properties, select either the workspace settings button in the ribbon, or the ellipsis beside the workspace in the workspace list.

The connection setting is in the advanced section, and is identified as the “Workspace OneDrive”.

The important thing to note here is that you do NOT enter the URL of the SharePoint site in this field. This field is expecting the address of it in email format (ie demos@xxxx.com). All Modern Sharepoint sites are bound to an Office 365 group, and the email address is the address of that group.

Get Data – File options for a V2 connected site

Once connected, the “Get Data” – “File” options will be much the same as with an unconnected workspace, but with the “OneDrive – SiteName” option added.

I still take exception with the name presented above, in my opinion it should be “Site – SiteName” or “SharePoint – SiteName site” and use a SharePoint option. However, once connected files in the connected site can be imported easily into the Power BI service.

Usage

It is important to understand what the connected site is used for in Power BI. Connecting a site allows for files stored in a SharePoint library to be either imported into the service (all supported file types), or connected to (Excel files). This feature does NOT allow Power BI content to be stored in a SharePoint library